Rich, easy and quick chocolate mousse

Continuing on the theme of simple but seriously good desserts, I thought I'd share an old favourite of mine. Homemade chocolate mousse. This does contain raw eggs, so if you're squeamish, pregnant, or at all unsure, best not eat it.

The original recipe was from my much thumbed, loved, and falling apart Delia. It's a failsafe wow pudding that I've adapted and experimented with over the years (very good with a little cinnamon, or chilli)

The prep time for this is about 15 minutes max, and that's not all spent preparing - most of it is waiting for the chocolate to cool down. I made this the other night at the same time as cooking dinner.

Ingredients (2 portions)
2 eggs, separated
100g good quality dark chocolate (min 70% cocoa solids)
Dollop of cream
2 tsps alcohol - rum, or cointreau, or ginger wine......?

Method
Melt the chocolate, either in the microwave on a low heat setting, or in a heatproof bowl over a pan of water (do not allow any water to come into contact with the chocolate)

Beat the egg yolks, then add these to the melted chocolate. Leave to cool for ten minutes or so. If you're adding alcohol, do it now.

Beat the egg whites till they form soft peaks.

Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture (gently and a bit at a time to keep the air bubbles)

Splodge into serving dishes, and put in the fridge for an hour or so to set.

Before serving, top with a couple of spoons of whipped cream.

You could go for grated chocolate, chocolate dipped fruit, maybe hazelnuts or pecans on top to dress it up a bit more - but I don't think this chocolate mousse really needs it. The intensely rich flavour and light airy mousse is perfect on its own.

You could also add spices and other flavours to the melted chocolate/egg mix for a twist - a pinch of cinnamon is good, as is a little chilli, or finely grated orange zest. Possibilities are endless. Enjoy.